Railroad-bridge



P. FISCHER. Railroad Bridge.

No. 230,410. Patented July 27,1880.

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N-PETERS, FHDWUTHOGRPHEH, WAS HINGTUN, C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER FISCHER, OF CRAVVFORDSVILLE, INDIANA.

RAILROAD-BRIDGE.

SPECIFICATION- forming part of Letters Patent No. 230,410, dated July v27, 1880.

Application filed February 3, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER FISCHER, of Crawfordsville, in the county of Montgomery and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Bridges, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of railroad-bridges, in which the track is constructed with the design to prevent the car-trucks from leaving it, and the sides of the bridge are constructed to prevent the cars from turning over or coming in contact with the bridge-frame and tearing it to pieces, should an accident happen to the cars by reason of which the cars should be tilted or thrown into such a position as would, without my improvement, cause them to strike the frame-work of the bridge, and the object of my invention is to provide each side of the bridge-frame on the inside with horizontallystretched wire ropes, or guards of other suitable material, running parallel with the bridge and secured to inward-projecting brackets or bearings formed or attached to the bridgeframe, and also arranged so that one or more of these guards shall be located near the top of a car and as close as practicable thereto on each side ofthe bridge, to prevent the car from turning over in the bridge, or the top of the car from striking the bridge-frame, and one or more of said guards located near the bottom of the car-bed to prevent lthe lower part of the car from leaving the track or striking the vbridgeframe.

These objects I attain by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

Which- Figure l is a plan or top' view of the bridge and its approaches. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation, and Fig. 4 is afront elevation,of one of the auxiliary fraines or supports for the side guides.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The bridge itself may be of any ofthe wellknown forms of construction, resting on the abutments or piers A2 A2 in the usual manner.

A B represent bed-plates, which are securely anchored to the piers or abutments A2. These bed-plates are provided with recesses m and l, for the purpose of securing the ends of the guides and stays employed in my improvement. On these bed-plates A B are mounted the stringers K, on which the crossties C C are placed, and secured by being let into recesses formed in-the upper surface of said stringers. These stringers are also supported by the truss g f y, the rope or rod j' being carried over or through the bed-plates A and securely fastened to the under side of the projecting brackets B by one of the nuts L at each end.

Near each end of each bed plate A are mounted and securely fastened the uprights G3 G3, which are united together parallel with the track by the stringers G', and also united together across but above the the track, by the stringers G2 G2. Each of these stringers and uprights is provided with grooves running parallel therewith, in which the wire ropes or rods a a d d are retained.

The ropes or rods a a pass along the groove in the top stringers, G2, and downin the groove ofthe uprights G2, and are made fast and taut by the nuts L in the recesses m of the bedplates A. rBhe wire ropes or rods d d pass along in the grooves formed in the under side of the stringers G', over the top ends of the pillows I I I2 I2, and thence downward through the bracket B of the bed A, and are secured by nuts below at each end.

A It is obvious that various cross-braces (not shown) may be employed to strengthen and stiffen'the top frame, G G G2 G2, or the side fram es, G G3 G3. Each upright G3 is provided with brackets P, projecting inward toward the track, and to the inner ends of these brackets are secured the guide-ropes of wire, or guidebars of any other suitable material HH e o. These guides are designed to be very strong and rigid, and are firmly held in place, similar to that shown in Figs. 1,2, and 3, where I have, for convenience, shown one form only of securing these guides, which consists of exten ding the guides themselves, or by attaching to them the wire ropes or rods which lead through the vertical pillows I I I2 I3, and then downward and through the brackets B of the bed-plates A, where they are rmly secured, the guides being shown as held up in' notches r, formed in the brackets P.

It is obvious that various other means of IOO securing andsupporting these side guides, H H c c', may be employed to hold them rigid in their projecting position toward the cars without departing from the essence ot' my invention.

The ties C C are each provided with a horizontal notch in each end, in which the wire ropes or rods b b are supported. Each end of each of these ropes'or rods also passes over the bed-plates and through the brackets B thereof, Where they are firmly secured, thus preventing any lateral movement ofthe ties.

The wire rope or rod J is secured to one bracket, B, then passes over or through the bed-plate A, also over one or more cross-ties, C', close thereto; thence through several of the ties C; thence over one or more ties, C', and bed-plate A, and through the bracket B at the other end of the pier, where it is made fast and taut, thus forming an additional strength to the rail-supports.

The rails D D are constructed in cross-section, like that shown in Fig'. S-that is, the rail is provided with upright anges p p at each side, havinga thread between said han ges and the groove D', in which the flange of the wheels pass. Thus each individual rail is provided With a means of preventing the iange of the Wheels from running oli0 on either side.

In Fig. et an auxiliary frame is shown. These frames may be introduced and secured at various places in the span between the abutlnents or piers, for the purpose of giving additional support to the side guides, H H c c.

NVhen a train of cars is passing through a bridge having my improvements attached thereto, if the trucks should be inclined to leave the track the double-ianged rail D, aided by the guides H H c c', will prevent it from doing so. If a wheel or axle should break, andthe car should attempt to leave the track or tilt over or slew around, the guides H H c c will prevent it from coming inA contact with the frame-work of the bridge, and thus prevent injuring the bridge, and probably save many lives and much damage to rollingstock.

I am aware that prior to my invention rail` road-bridges have been made with braces and with bed-plates anchored to the abutments, piers, or ground, for the purpose of sustaining the bridge. I therefore do not claim Isuch a combination broadly, but

Vhat I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a railroad-bridge, of a series of frames arranged at right angles to the track, having inward-projecting brackets or supports P, and the rigid side guides, H H c c', substantially as shown, for the purpose specified.

2. In a railroad-bridge, the auxiliary frames A3 G2 G3 G3, having the uprights G3 provided with inward-projecting brackets or supports to support and strengthen the side guides, H H c c', all combined, substantially as shown and specilied.

3. In combination with a railroad-bridge, the inward-projecting brackets or supports P for the side guides, H H c c', substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In combination with a railroadbridge, the rigid side guides, H H c c, adapted to prevent any ear that may be inclined to leave the track from striking the framework ofthe bridge, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereofl have signed my naine to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

PETER FISCHER.

Vitnesses E. 0. FRINK, G. H. BENNETT. 

